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Press Release B'nai B'rith Europe

Tuesday, 30 January 2018

B'nai B'rith Europe joined the 7th Round Table of the European Commission with representatives of Jewish organizations in Brussels

B'nai B'rith Europe Director of the Brussels office, represented the President of B'nai B'rith Europe, Serge Dahan, during the 7th Round table of the European Commission gathering main European Jewish organizations.

The meeting focused on the monitoring results of illegal hate speech online as well as on the counter terrorism measures addressed by Gilles de Kerchove, EU Counter-Terrorism coordinator.

B'nai B'rith Europe, through the Director of the Brussels office, had the opportunity to present its actions and its commitment in this fight against anti-Semitism in Europe by evoking the publication project of a compendium on anti-Semitism which includes an analysis of the

various forms of anti-Semitism, basing itself on the real life experiences of its representation in 25 countries in Europe.

Press Release B'nai B'rith Europe

Serge Dahan, President of B'nai B'rith Europe, participated in the International Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony organized by the European Parliament

Brussels, January 24th, 2018

The International Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony organized by the European Parliament with the support of the European Jewish Congress was chaired by Mrs Mairead McGuinness, First Vice-president of the European Parliament and was held in presence of Mrs Livia Jaroka, Vice-president of the European Parliament and rapporteur to the European Union on the European strategy with regard to Roms, Mr Moshe Kantor, President of the European Jewish Congress, Mr Yuli Edelstein, President of the Knesset, Chief Rabbi Guigui, representing the conference of European rabbis, holocaust survivors from the Jewish community and from the Rom community, European members of the Parliament and representatives of Jewish organizations.

Serge Dahan, President of B'nai B'rith Europe, Thomas Kraus, President of the Rebirth Czech Republic Lodge, member of BBE Executive committee and the Director of the Brussels office represented B'nai B'rith Europe at this ceremony.

Mrs Mairead McGuinness, First Vice-President of the European Parliament, emphasized the importance of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27th, date of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp and the resolution of the United Nations named "Memory of the Holocaust", which encourages States to promote educational projects and to protect memory places related to the Holocaust. This resolution condemns any attempt of holocaust denial or religious intolerance and begins to promote a program on the United Nations level in order to perpetuate the Holocaust memory and to prevent that such an event repeats itself.

Mairead McGuinness expressed her intention to personally visit Auschwitz in the course of this year. She indicated that each citizen should make this journey to guarantee that such a crime against humanity does not repeat.

Moshe Kantor, European Jewish Congress President, declared that "while personal memories short, our political memory and the lessons that the political class of Europe draws from the Holocaust must remain".

"The European Union urgently needs to demonstrate that it will tirelessly defend pluralism and the rule of law" Mr Kantor continued.

Yuli Edelstein, representing the State of Israel, President of Knesset, denounced the contradictory messages of the European Parliament, in particular for failing to condemn, during their last trip to Tehran, the Iranian cartoon contest on the holocaust.Mr. Edelstein asked what did we learn from the holocaust if synagogues require today a protection around the clock, if jews do not carry the kippah and star of David out of fear of being attacked.

Kaddish recited by Chief Rabbi Guigui followed by a minute of silence closed the ceremony in memory of victims of the Holocaust.

PRESS RELEASE B'NAI B'RITH Europe

B'nai B'rith Europe is outraged by the bill approved Friday, January 27 by the Polish Parliament prohibiting any expression suggesting a link between Poland and the crimes Nazis made on his territory

The Polish Parliament chose on Friday, January 27, date of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, to approve a law prohibiting any communication suggesting a link between Poland and the Nazis crime made on its territory during the Second World War. According to this new legislation, using terms such as "polish death camp" can result in a prison sentence.

In May 2002, Polish politicians and personalities called for apology President Barack Obama for having designated "polish death camp" the exterminations camps built by Nazi Germany in the occupied Poland, during a ceremony at the White House in posthumous tribute to Jan Karski, former polish officer who provided the Westerners with testimonies on the Nazi policy extermination of the Jews.

In answer to many criticisms, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawieci affirmed "Auschwitz-Birkenau is not a Polish name and Arbeit macht frei is not a Polish expression" supporting the thesis that the use of term "Polish death camp" gives a distorted impression that Poland is responsible for the Shoah.

The President of B'nai B'rith Europe, Serge Dahan, quoting Albert Camus "To call things by incorrect names is to add to the world's misery" is indignant and condemns this legal text which he considers as a new attempt at rewriting history.

For Yad Vashem this text "is liable to blur the historical truths regarding the assistance the Germans received from the Polish population during the Holocaust."

Israel's president, Reuven Rivlin, recalled a statement Poland's then-President Aleksander Kwaśniewski, who in 2000 told the Israeli parliament that "one cannot fake history, one cannot rewrite it, one cannot hide the truth. Every crime, every offence must be condemned, denounced, must be examined and exposed."

B'nai B'rith Europe emphasizes that if it is true that the death camps were built in Poland whereas Poland was under occupation Nazi, a rewriting of the history which would seek to deny complicities in the crimes committed against the Jews on the Polish territory during the Second World War is intolerable in the name of the truth and is an insult in memory of victims of the Shoah.

To come into effect, this text must be voted by the Senate and signed by the Polish President, therefore B'nai B'rith Europe requires from the Polish government to modify this bill before its definitive adoption.

The President of B'nai B'rith Europe, Serge Dahan, asks from all B'nai B'rith Europe representatives to quickly meet Polish ambassadors in their countries of origin to spread the position of B'nai B'rith

Press Release B'nai B'rith Europe

Friday, 26 January 2018

B'nai B'rith Europe joined the 7th Round Table of the European Commission

with representatives of Jewish organizations in Brussels

B'nai B'rith Europe Director of the Brussels office, Hanna Kalmenson, represented the President of B'nai B'rith Europe, Serge Dahan, during the 7th Round table of the European Commission gathering main European Jewish organizations.

The meeting focused on the monitoring results of illegal hate speech online as well as on the counter terrorism measures addressed by Gilles de Kerchove, EU Counter-Terrorism coordinator.

B'nai B'rith Europe, through Hanna Kalmenson, had the opportunity to present its actions and its commitment in this fight against anti-Semitism in Europe by evoking the publication project of a compendium on anti-Semitism which includes an analysis of the

various forms of anti-Semitism, basing itself on the real life experiences of its representation in 25 countries in Europe.

Gathering in front of the Court of Appeal of Metz

Tuesday, 23 January 2018

INFORMATION

Gathering in front of the Court of Appeal of Metz

18th January 2018The Lodges of the East region of B'nai B'rith France organized a gathering in front the Court of Appeal of Metz on Thursday, January 18, 2018 on the occasion of the appeal trial against the incitement to boycott of the president of BDS 57.

BDS 57 movement had called for the Boycott of the products of the Israeli pharmaceutical firm TEVA.They were present in front of the Court of Appeal to spread misleading slogans, which are factors of hatred, support anti-Semitism and rejection of the other.

The Lodges of the French East area took once again the initiative of a mobilization to denounce the BDS movement and the calls to boycott that were already condemned in France.

"In spite of an abominable weather, rain and cold gusts wind, members of B'nai B'rith and the community militated bravely and with courage against BDS. They remained in front of the BDS activists during more than one hour.

An important police force was in place and some members of B'nai B'rith of Metz could attend the audience" wrote Michel Gerstenhaber.

Serge Dahan, President of B'nai B'rith Europe wish to thank our brother Jacques Sicherman, Vice-president of the Elie Bloch Lodge of Metz, our brother Michel Gerstenhaber and all the sisters and brothers of B'nai B'rith of the East region who mobilized themselves to denounce, track and fight against this denigration campaign, which is untrue and discriminatory, and to fight against the BDS Movement "Boycott, Investment withdrawal, Sanctions".

Ladies and Gentlemen of BDS, "Bleat, stamp, grind teeth; your lies will certainly affect duplicity and sometimes ingenuous naivety but to in no case reality and truth." Flaubert.

Press Release B'nai B'rith Europe

Wednesday, 20 December 2017

B'nai B'rith, profoundly worried by the arrival of ministers of far right-wing in the Austrian Government directed by Sebastian Kurz, calls for the outburst of the democrats

The head of Christian Democrat party Sebastian Kurz which was invested on Monday December 18 by the Head of State, Alexander Van der Bellen, reached an agreement with the far-right party to form his government, composed of 14 ministers of which six belong to the FPÖ.

The extreme right party is arriving in force in the new Austrian government with three sovereign positions, Defence, Interior and Foreign affairs.

This alliance between the conservatives and the FPÖ in Austria confirms the strong rise of the populist parties in several European countries. The European Commissioner Pierre Moscovici declared "the situation is undoubtedly different compared to the precedent of the year 2000. But the presence of far right party at the heart of power is never harmless!"

While the new Austrian government recognized explicitly the Jewish character of the State of Israel and while new Chancellor Sebastian Kurz ensured that his objective is "zero tolerance" towards anti-Semitism, the return to power of the party founded by former Nazis causes a strong concern within the Jewish Austrian Communities (IKG) and the Jewish Communities in all Europe. The Mauthausen Committee, an organization of deportees, actually considered FPÖ party as being "incurable".

B'nai B'rith Europe and its President Serge Dahan are thus deeply anxious by the latest information coming from Austria.

The Austrian Government becomes today the only one in Western Europe to count in its ranks a party of extreme right.

President of B'nai B'rith Europe calls for a fast and energetic reaction from the European Union governments as it was the case in 2000 at the time of the first alliance between the conservatives and the Austrian extreme right-wing party.

Press Release B'nai B'rith Europe

The Profanation of the Jewish cemetery of Pančevo in Serbia is an insult to memory

B'nai B'rith Europe is horrified by this vile and anti-Semite act

The Jewish cemetery of Pancevo, located in the street Josif Marinković, a small town beside Belgrade, was vandalized in the night of Friday December 8th.

47 Jewish tombs were profaned some of which date back to the 18th century,

Representatives of Jewish community informed the directors of the regional police force of Pancevo about this odious and barbarian act.

The first tracks of Jewish presence in Pancevo go back to the years 1730. In 1729, the provincial administration gave to David Löwy and his family, the permission to settle in Pančevo. In 1730, Jacob Solomon, a Jewish cereal merchant of Pančevo, arrived by boat at Sremska Mitrovica where he was registered by the customs officers.

The graves vary in architectural style, according to the moment when they were set up. Some graves are without ornamental elements while others are more elaborate using Jewish symbols. Inscriptions are in Hebrew, German and Serbian.

B'nai B'rith Europe demands from the Serbian government that everything should be done as soon as possible in order to arrest and judge the authors of this odious act according to the horror of their action. It is as well appropriate that all measures should be taken to protect the Jewish community. If it was, so far, necessary to protect the lives from the Jews of Europe, should we start to consider that is now necessary to protect our deaths?

More than ever, mobilization and vigilance must be equal to the scale of this war declared almost everywhere in Europe against the Jews and the values of the democracy.

President of B'nai B'rith Europe, Serge Dahan, is outraged and condemns with anger and emotion this vile act and this insult to memory. He addresses a fraternal thought and his support to the families who gather themselves on the graves of their parents and to the friends of the Jewish cemetery of Pancevo.

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B'nai B'rith is an international NGO, accredited to the UN, represented at UNESCO and at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, bringing together Jews of any origin to serve the communities in which they live, in accordance to the values of B'nai B'rith: Charity, Brotherly love, Harmony.

With its international headquarters in Washington, its European office in Brussels, several tens of thousands of members in more than fifty countries, B'nai B'rith is the largest Jewish organisation in the world. It is also one of oldest, since its creation in 1843. The mission of B'nai B'rith is to bring the Jews to work together and improve the harmony between the communities, to reinforce the Jewish community, to fight racial and religious intolerance, to promote the Jewish culture and history and to carry out solidarity actions.

Our objectives are to encourage friendship and inter-communal dialogue through leisure, social and cultural programs, to support the State of Israel and the Jewish people in the world, to work for charities and to help all the victims of natural disasters wherever they have place, to initiate and develop community projects, to strengthen the links of B'nai B'rith all over Europe.

Serge Dahan is the current president of B'nai B'rith Europe; he is assisted by an Executive Committee which represents B'nai B'rith all over Europe. To reach B'nai B'rith objectives, they are in a daily contact with political leaders at the highest level, representatives of other NGO's, opinion leaders and diplomatic representatives._______________________